Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1446867
13 Despite a few ups and downs along the way and a brief period when Modernism and minimalist interior designers took hold, and bare walls became fashionable... Wallpaper never really went anywhere… The earliest surviving fragment of European wallpaper, found in Christ's College Cambridge, dates from 1509. It was made by Hugo van der Goes of York. Hugo was one of the most important painters of altarpieces as well as portraits. He's well-known for his damask-style design of pomegranates which derived from Islamic prototypes, and his work was later copied throughout Italian and Spanish textiles. This is a key example of wallpaper development, because it not only shows how textile designs influenced wallpaper, but also block prints. Advances in block-printing technology heralded the widespread use of wallpaper. Images taken from tapestries and other expensive fabrics such as damasks and tooled leather, once used by the wealthy to adorn their walls, were copied onto blocks of paper for poorer households. In 1712, a property tax on wallpaper was introduced under Queen Anne and remained in force for 124 years. Forging wallpaper stamps (or anything else) was by 1806 among the long list of offenses punishable by death. Being an artist and an immense fan of art history and the luxurious decor that went along with it, I can attest that you don't have to be Royalty to experience these lavish/luxurious goods. With today's technology and reproduction, it can be lavish without being ludicrously expensive. Wallpapers have recently rolled back in a big way. Everything from gothic darks to shimmering foliage, tooled leather panels, embossed papers, panoramic wallpaper, murals... oh my! I am fascinated with the options, textures, and textiles! It is keeping me busier than a one armed paper hanger, LOL… At Hingham Furniture & Design, we carry all the brands you know and trust for quality, durability and style. We also install all textures and textiles along with providing painting and repair services. Wallpaper is a fantastic tool that can pack a huge visual punch. It's available in a seemingly unending variety of colors, patterns, and textures, and depending on what you choose, its effect can be either big and bold or soft and subtle. These days, with brands like Schumacher, Designers Guild, Scalamandre, Phillip Jeffries and more, there is wallpaper available for budgets both big and small.